Vehicle sunshade with variable width

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772465-B2
Application number	US-202217589914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2022
Priority date	Feb 1, 2022
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A sunshade system of vehicle roof includes a sunshade formed from a fabric material including a plurality of pleats arranged across a lateral sunshade width and extending along a sunshade length. At least one sunshade guide extends along a length of the sunshade and retains a lateral width edge of the fabric material, and guides the sunshade along a path between a stowed position and an extended position. The sunshade has a variable sunshade width along the sunshade length in the extended position by expansion and relaxation of the plurality of pleats.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sunshade system of a vehicle roof, comprising:
a sunshade formed from a fabric material including a plurality of pleats arranged across a lateral sunshade width and extending along a sunshade length; and
at least one sunshade guide extending along a length of the sunshade and retaining a lateral width edge of the fabric material and guiding the sunshade along a path between a stowed position and an extended position;
wherein the sunshade has a variable sunshade width along the sunshade length in the extended position by expansion and relaxation of the plurality of pleats;
wherein at least one pleat disposed at a laterally center portion of the fabric material includes at least two opposing folds in the fabric material, a first fold of the at least two folds extending non-parallel to a second fold of the at least two folds.

2. The sunshade system of claim 1 , further comprising a sunshade housing in which the sunshade is disposed when in the stowed position.

3. The sunshade system of claim 1 , further comprising a roller around which the sunshade is wrapped when the sunshade is in the stowed position.

4. The sunshade system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide is two sunshade guides, a sunshine guide of the two sunshade guides located at each lateral width edge of the fabric material.

5. The sunshade system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a first recess into which the lateral width edge is inserted.

6. The sunshade system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a second recess opposite the first recess into which a retaining tab of the sunshade is inserted.

7. The sunshade system of claim 1 , wherein in the extended position the sunshade is trapezoidal in shape.

8. A roof and sunshade assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
a roof assembly including an at least semi-transparent roof panel; and
a sunshade system to selectably block the roof panel, the sunshade system including:
a sunshade formed from a fabric material including a plurality of pleats arranged across a lateral sunshade width and extending along a sunshade length; and
at least one sunshade guide extending along a length of the sunshade and retaining a lateral width edge of the fabric material and guiding the sunshade along a path between a stowed position and an extended position;
wherein the sunshade has a variable sunshade width along the sunshade length in the extended position by expansion and relaxation of the plurality of pleats;
wherein at least one pleat disposed at a laterally center portion of the fabric material includes at least two opposing folds in the fabric material, a first fold of the at least two folds extending non-parallel to a second fold of the at least two folds.

9. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a sunshade housing in which the sunshade is disposed when in the stowed position.

10. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sunshade housing is attached to the roof assembly.

11. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a roller disposed in the sunshade housing around which the sunshade is wrapped when the sunshade is in the stowed position.

12. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide is two sunshade guides, a sunshine guide of the two sunshine guides located at each lateral width edge of the fabric material.

13. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a first recess into which the lateral width edge is inserted.

14. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a second recess opposite the first recess into which a retaining tab of the sunshade is inserted.

15. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 8 , wherein the roof panel is formed from one of glass or a polymer material.

16. The roof and sunshade assembly or claim 8 , wherein the roof panel has a first panel width at a forward end of the roof panel and a second panel width at a rearward end of the roof panel, opposite the rearward end, the first panel width greater than the second panel width.

17. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 16 , wherein in the extended position the sunshade has a first sunshade width at the rearward end of the roof panel and a second sunshade width greater than the first sunshade width at the forward end of the roof panel.

18. A roof and sunshade assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
a roof assembly including an at least semi-transparent roof panel extending from a forward end of the roof panel to a rearward end of the roof panel, opposite the forward end; and
a sunshade system to selectably block the roof panel, the sunshade system including:
a sunshade formed from a fabric material including a plurality of pleats arranged across a lateral sunshade width and extending along a sunshade length; and
at least one sunshade guide extending along a length of the sunshade and retaining a lateral width edge of the fabric material and guiding the sunshade along a path between a stowed position and an extended position;
wherein the sunshade has a variable sunshade width along the sunshade length in the extended position by expansion and relaxation of the plurality of pleats;
wherein when in the stowed position the sunshade is disposed in a sunshade housing located at the rearward end of the roof panel;
wherein at least one pleat disposed at a laterally center portion of the fabric material includes at least two opposing folds in the fabric material, a first fold of the at least two folds extending non-parallel to a second fold of the at least two folds.

19. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 18 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a first recess into which the lateral width edge is inserted.

20. The roof and sunshade assembly of claim 19 , wherein the at least one sunshade guide includes a second recess opposite the first recess into which a retaining tab of the sunshade is inserted.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Salvi Daniel Lopez De
• Diven Keith E

Classifications

• B60J7/0015 Primary

  roller blind · CPC title

• B60J7/043

  Sunroofs (B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedence){e.g. sliding above the roof} · CPC title

• E06B9/40

  Roller blinds (usable only as awnings E04F10/06) · CPC title

• B60J1/2041

  Blind sheets, e.g. shape of sheets, reinforcements in sheets, materials therefor · CPC title